My Epic quest is different from how I Expected
by cataclysmic-reactor
Summary: He was anomaly, a mistake that was not meant to happen. He would also go on to become the greatest hero the light would ever see
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hey I wanted to try a different take on Kingdom hearts hope you like it enough to just skim through it at the least.**

**P.S: This chapter does not show a lot of dialogue, it also doesn't show a few scenes where one might expect converstaion to take place and also Sora may seem a bit angsty(Only for this chapter though). This is all intentional and hopefully you'll like where I try and go with this. **

My Epic Quest is different from how I expected

Prologue

Sora let out a nervous breath as he tried to steady himself; in his hands was a letter. More than that, in his hands was his future. Inside that tiny envelope with the royal seal of the king was the answer to everything he had worked for these past few years. His hopes, his dreams and all of his ambitions hinged on a tiny scrap of paper. It was a realization that brought a humbling experience to the sometimes cocky boy.

It was a letter from the Keyblade Academy, the only institute with the technology to train selected people to fight against the heartless. The tests were rigorous and the cutoff rate was very high. If he had been accepted his future was made, more importantly he would be a step closer to a promise he made a long time ago. It was a promise he very much wanted to keep.

"Here goes nothing." He whispered to himself. After a moment's hesitation he tore the letter open. Best to get this over with quickly was that thought that crossed his mind. His eyes skipped straight to the all-important part.

_Dear Mr Sora,_

_It is with sincere regret that we must inform you that we cannot offer you a place here with us at the Keyblade Academy._

Following this was the usual plethora of crap saying how they wished him the best of luck in his future endeavors. It was amazing that such a nonchalant statement accompanied with it such heartbreak. His mind was a blank slate, his eyes fixated to that single line but not really reading it anymore. It was a testament to the resilience of the human body that it was able to withstand such a feeling.

A sudden thought came to Sora that made his breath hitch inside his throat. "What am I going to tell Riku and Kairi?" Ah yes Riku and Kairi, his two best friends. All the plans they had made, all those long discussions that lasted hours. How was he supposed to tell them about this?

Those two had already gotten their acceptance letters. Riku had won a prestigious scholarship to the Keyblade division of the academy and kairi had the top score in the entrance exams for both theory and application in the magic division. Those two had been confident that he would make it too.

Their confidence in him had been helpful but it had never been enough to quell that lingering doubt deep down in his heart that he wasn't good enough. Riku and Kairi were prodigies that hailed from prominent military families that had members throughout the Keyblade academy and the Keyblade army. He on the other hand was a no name orphan; never had this bothered him before today.

Even as an orphan he had been a happy child, always trusting and always willing to make new friends and as such had never thought twice about why two upper class kids had wanted to become his friends. Over the years they had separately told him that it was because he was capable reminding them of what was good in this world, his positive attitude. Riku had taken to calling him sunshine as a way to tease him.

As he slowly regained his wits and put the letter on the kitchen table and then grabbed his favorite black jacket with yellow stripes, a gift given by Kairi last year on his 16th birthday. He put on his yellow shoes and stepped out his house, it was small but it was adequate and it used to belong to his grandparents. He had inherited at 15, the age of adulthood and had moved out of the orphanage.

"Best to get this over with quickly", He muttered as he set off towards Riku's house. He decided he was going to do it separately, partly because it was give him time to make up his courage as he walked and mostly because he wasn't sure he could handle their disappointed loos at the same time. He came to a decision as he continued walking. Riku and Kairi would be leaving for the academy at the end of the week, when that time came he would stand there with his biggest smile and tell them he was proud of them. He would make them promise to kick ass at the academy and see them off; it was the least of what he owed his wonderful friends.

**(At night in Sora's house after his talk with Kairi and Riku)**

Sora lay in bed as he recalled his encounters with Riku and Kairi from earlier. It was mostly as he had expected. The looks they had given him were the same, a hint of disappointment a dash of sympathy with a tinge of sadness. He got the feeling that if he had not met them at their home and at their usual spot there would have been a lot more exchanged than hushed words and looks. Their house rules didn't allow for decorum to be broken or some such hogwash.

He closed his eyes to try and forget, sleep just didn't seem to come though. He let out an irritated huff and got out of bed as a sudden bout of frustration hit him.

"Ahhhh, stupid Sora!" he reprimanded himself, "Stop thinking about it already. You didn't get in to the stinking academy, big deal! It's not the end of the world." Except that's what it felt like. He had only focused on courses that would enable him to get into the academy during high school; combat, strategy, information gathering etc. He wasn't much good at anything else. He supposed he could become a mercenary but that wasn't really appealing to him due to various reasons. As he stood there thinking his eyes eventually and inevitably fell to that dreaded piece of paper that was lying on the bedside table. He had picked it up numerous times but hadn't been able to look at it. It's not like anything was going to change. Right now though he picked it up again and decided to read it once more, just for kicks he supposed. It seemed that he had turned into a masochist in the past few hours, he felt pathetic.

As he continued to scan the letter he came upon a certain part. Something he had missed because he hadn't bothered to read further the first time. It was like a bomb had been dropped on him and he felt like a complete ass as his eyes widened. His heart beat quickened and his palms stared to sweat lightly. In certain very rare cases and by rare it mean bordering non-existent, the rejection letter stated the reason that for said rejection. It had happened in only a handful of times in the few hundred years of the academy's history, each time it was because the academy thought that said candidate had what it took to enter the academy but they hadn't been admitted because of a defect to their mana core, a very fixable condition which required a few months of treatment.

The mana core test was one of the many tests conducted upon students. It was very important because the mana core allowed a person to manipulate mana present in their body to produce magic and/or produce the keyblade when they applied mana to the keychain, people with the ability to do both were far and few between. They were also ridiculously powerful. He had naturally assumed that he was a wielder because he couldn't produce magic and since you weren't given keychains during the entrance test because of security reasons (and also because defects to the mana core were only a handful over hundreds of years so they didn't bother to give out items as precious as Keychains), he couldn't have known about any problems with his mana core.

He steeled himself as he read the reason he couldn't make it.

_Mr. Sora in an unprecedented situation that has never before occurred in the history of the academy we must very regretfully inform that your mana core is completely unreactive, thereby rendering you incapable of manipulating mana and as such making you unable to wield either magic or the keyblade. It is also with a heavy heart we must tell you that as you are an unprecedented case we do not have the capability or the resources to help you. _

Unreactive, unprecedented, what the hell were they talking about? He kept thinking about those words over and over again. Trying to come up with an explanation but his mind was drawing a blank. Was this some sort of punishment? Had he done something horrendous in some past life? Why else in the history of the world (and it was a very long history mind you) would he be the only person that had a useless mana core.

Useless, that word stuck in his head. He really was completely useless, no parents, no special talent, no mana core. Completely useless; Sora could do nothing but think of that over and over again. Eventually the tears came and Sora cried silently, he slid back into bed and continued to do so till sleep finally claimed his exhausted body and troubled mind.

**One week later**

It was a chilly morning as Sora stood at the bus stand, he had arrived an hour earlier than both Kairi and Riku. He wanted to be as composed as possible when he saw them off. He'd had a whole week to ponder over what to do and what to say. He had of course, not mentioned his little defect to the both of them. He wasn't sure he take their pity on top of everything. He had over the week come to a conclusion that he needed to leave this town behind. The memories he shared with his two best friends would serve as a bitter reminder about what he couldn't achieve, and without Riku or Kairi there to anchor him he might do something that really wasn't in tune with his character.

He would pretend to be happy till they left, not that difficut of a feat since he really was a happy and optimistic kid. It's just that the revealations of last week had left him bereft of any hope. So he would greet them when they came to the stand and tell them to kick ass at the academy or else. Then he would wave at them as they got on the bus and left him behind and he would do all this with a smile because that is what his friends deserved. There is also the fact that he wanted them to remember their last moment together as a good one.

As expected Kairi was the the first one to arrive, contrary to to the cool and calm Riku exuded when awake he always had a problem getting up in the morning. It was one of the few things Riku got peeved about when we teased him about it. Kairi was wearing the Keyblade academy's female uniform, she looked very nice but then Kairi always looked very nice. She approached him silently and before he knew it she was standing right in front of him, regarding him with a certain look in her eyes that he could n't quite place. Then without a word she hugged him and he responded unconciously but then he always did where Kairi was concerned, he didn't know why though.

He became very acutely aware of the fact that despitehe small stature Kairi had definitely grown as a woman. As they sepereated she let out a breathless, "Hey" while all he could he could do was stare blank to caught up in the revelation female best friends...well, feminity. It wasn't until she finally asked him if he was fine that he he came to his senses and replied, "Oh no, i'm fine, peachy keen"

"Peachy Keen!", she replied with a snort, "Whoe's this 80 year old senior citizen and where'd my best friend go?" This made Sora smile, he hadn't talked to them in over a week, not since he had personally visited them and broke the news that he wouldn't be accompanying them to the academy. Yet all it took was one sentence and it was like old times, it made him think that maybe things would work out and that maybe Kairi and Riku wouldn't forget about him. That deep down, had been his greatest fear. Now though he was getting the feeling that he would be fine, that they as friends would be fine.

They stood there silently for a few minutes and enjoyed the morning air, it was pleasant. More importantly it was reinvigorating. It was another few minutes till Riku arrived and just on time since the bus would be arriving soon. Riku's appusroach was measured, much like all his actions and habits were. If you hadn't know him for as long as they had you'd think of him as aloof and cold, not bothered with anyone he deemed below his station. That though wasn't the case in the slightest. Riku was a very kind and compassionate person with a profund sense of what was righteous, he was also still a little groggy from sleep but no one but Kairi or Sora would ever be able tell.

When Riku finally got near the the two he greeted them with a simple hey to Kairi and fist bump to Sora. It was how it had always been and Sora silently thanked whatever dieties were out there for getting the best friends in the world. Just a few familiar gestures and it showed they under stood, it showed that no matter the distance their bond of friendship would hold firm. It was during these moments that the bus arrived, it failed to dim Sora's spirit. About a total of 40 children had been selected from our town, some Sora knew and others he didn't. As Riku was about to get onto the bus he turned to Sora and said, "Don't make me wait to long, okay?" Sora replied with a cockyness that had been missing for a while, "I'm sure i'll make you eat my dust in no time." This caused Riku to grin and the two shared a look, as if to confirm a promise that they would meet again. Then Riku turned around and boarded the bus.

Next up was Kairi and she suddenly seemed a bit nervous. He couldn't fathom why though, she was fine just a moment ago. As if he unconciously understood what she needed Sora put his hand on his shoulders and shook her lightly, "Hey Kai, don't worry you'll do fine, those city magicians won't know what hit them. You're going to be the best damn magician in the world!" These words brought the smile backto Kairi's lips and her eyes lit up. She opened her mouth to say something, "Hey Sora, I just wanted to tell ypu tha-" the bus horn honked to signal it was about to take off. Sora looked at Kairi expectantly waiting for her to continue. "Never mind, it was that important anyways. Here this is for you !", she said this with a hint of dissapointment and took out pakacge wrapped in blue. She placed it in his had and then gave him a firece hug, "I'll miss you a lot Sora" with that she turned and ran into thr bus. Sora stood there a little apprehensive but mostly happy and after a week, full of hope and just as he had promised himself he waved them goodbye with a smile on his face, only he didn't have to pretend.

**Author's note: It's my experience that this is a different take on the story and not very popular with Kingdom hearts fans but if yyou've read this far please review if you have the time since your input would be much appreciated. Thank you**


	2. 1 Moving forward

**Author's note: Hello again, I was finally able to write this. I had written an earlier chapter but I wasn't satisfied, still though, I apologize for the wait. Also, there is a reason why I chose the world I did in this chapter. It was nice way to begin Sora's journey without getting complex early on and because it allows me to see tentative timeline to the story.**

**Chapter 1**

**Moving forward isn't as easy as I thought it would be**

**Timeskip (Forward 8 months from the end of last chapter)**

**Sora's POV**

I'm not the most confident of people, or at least I wasn't a few years ago. This cockiness, optimism and ability to look forward no matter the obstacle, didn't really emerge until after I met Riku and Kairi. Were those characteristics always present and did they coax them out of me? Or maybe I knew deep inside that the only way to keep my new friends was to change- to be better. I suspect the latter, really. Whatever the case, I am finally moving forward like I want to.

Right now I am standing in a training yard, which has been pretty much my home for the last six months. I am wearing a pair of black boots, or buccaneer boots as they are known, and a standard of dark blue slacks and red sleeved shirt that is required of my person. What's important though is what I wear on my waist and across my chest; a rapier and a light blue draped tabard with the Fleur-de-lis emblazoned in gold, reminiscent of the sun. This is the Country of the Musketeers and I am a private in the Musketeer Army. it's strange because I never imagined joining the Musketeers. Now that I'm here though, it's not so bad, in fact I've made some new friends. They're a bit weird but I guess it's part of their charm and the Musketeer Army is home to the elite guard regiment that protects the king so that's a real plus.

As I listen to Captain Pete standing in front of us giving a speech about, honour, valor, duty and other such ideals that he really doesn't care about, I can see he'd rather be anywhere than here. He's not too fond of us, after all. I turn my eyes towards my left and glance at the trio beside me. Mickey, Donald and Goofy are standing, in the same uniform, staring with rapt attention towards the rotund Captain. He better not catch you calling him fat! I spy a slight upturn on the corner of Mickey's lips- he is trying his damndest to appear serious and not break into a full-blown smile. The Captain would be pissed if that happened. What the hell, I say to myself and smile wide enough for all four of us. If the captain has a problem he'll just have to deal with it. I start to think about how I came from having nothing to taking the first step towards reuniting with Riku and Kairi. And maybe, just maybe I'll become a hero along the way. This is nice too, though.

"_Hey, Kairi, I wish you could see me now, it may not be enough but I am moving forward."_,Sora thought to himself as memory came unbidden to his mind.

**Seven months previously (back in Sora's Hometown, a month after Riku and Kairi's departure)**

Sora still wasn't back to his old self, he realized suddenly. It had been two months since his friends had left and he really hadn't recovered from it. How was he supposed to do so? After years of friendship, his only support was gone. He thought he was going to move forward but instead time seemed to come to a standstill for our spikey-haired would-be hero.

If one were to observe him, nothing out of sorts could be seen. However, there were signs. Little things really, like the pile up of dishes in the kitchen sink, the amount of garbage bags yet to be disposed of and the general air of lethargy that was wrapped around him like a blanket. The initial motivation he felt had completely disappeared, lost in an abyss of loneliness and self-doubt. It seemed to him that the gap between him and his friends had widened into a maw- gaping, dark and endless. He sat on the edge of his bed right now, thoughts racing through his head, but none stayed long enough to dwell. There was no focus, no drive. There was only nothingness and the stirrings of despair.

Sora let out a sigh and flopped backwards on his bed. He stretched his arms upwards, palms open, like he was trying to grab on to something faraway. Something had to give, he realized, and as it is in times like these, whatever god out there was looking over him decided that something should, in fact, give. It also came with the realization that he was the biggest, most forgetful blockhead on the face of this earth. Kairi's gift, he had totally forgotten about it! The thought had hit him out of nowhere, like a whip. He shot up, raced over to his closet and yanked it open. A foul stench hit him as he did so. He had gotten into a bad habit of wearing clothes and then dumping them back in to the closet without washing them.

He rummaged through his stuff while trying his best not to gag. He let out a triumphant, "Finally !" as he found the jacket he was wearing on the day of their departure and felt the familiar weight of a package inside it's pocket. He hastily grabbed the present as he threw the jacket aside. He was going through rip through the paper but then he decided against it. He thought of Kairi, thought of what she was trying to tell him that that day.

"Whatever, it wasn't important, she said so herself.", he muttered under his breath as he slowly and carefully unwrapped the package.

He was still wondering how he had forgotten about it. I mean, who does that?! How do you forget a gift your best friend gives to you?

He put that thought on the back burner for the moment; it really didn't matter. It wasn't like she was here to reprimand him. In fact with how busy the Keyblade Army keeps their students, especially first years, they hadn't even gotten the chance to write to him. Of course they weren't completely to blame, that more so, lay with him. He didn't have the courage to write to them, thinking them to far away in a figurative sense under the guise of them being busy and him not wanting to disturb them. It was silly really, now that he looked back at it.

Sora finally got the tape on the package to come undone without damaging it. It had been shaped strangely. He couldn't even begin to guess what it was. When he did get a look at it though, his breathing stopped for a second and his eyes widened slowly. It couldn't be, she wouldn't give him something like _this_. Something this important, _this_ personal. He tried to process it, but his mind was completely boggled.

In his hand was a charm. Not just any charm-Kairi's lucky charm. Kairi's lucky charm that had been given to her by her precious grandmother, made lovingly, with her own two hands. He recognized it because he had seen her wearing it all the time. He looked over it once again, maybe it was a mistake and this was another charm that Kairi had made for him. A star -shaped charm, hand-made, purple on the tips fading into lime green as it reached towards the center where a single gold tri-edged crown-the symbol of the Keyblade Academy-lay. At first glance, it definitely looked like her charm but a single detail caught his attention, on one of the tips of the star shaped charm was a face that looked suspiciously like his own.

Sora let out a sigh of relief- it wasn't Kairi's charm. He was sure of it now, the implications, if it had been hers, would have been staggering. He picked the charm up from a chain attached to the tip. If he hadn't known any better he would mistaken it for a keyblade charm. That was ridiculous though: all charms capable of morphing into keyblades were strictly under the jurisdiction of the Keyblade Academy. Nevertheless it was a thoughtful gift that had cheered him up. As Sora was about to put it back into the wrapper, something caught his eye. There was a scrap of paper in there along with the charm. On it was written a single line. This line, as it turned out, would be the catalyst of Sora's making as a hero. He wouldn't realize that though, not long until after he had accomplished what he was meant to. It's strange how the biggest of legends can have the humblest of beginnings.

" _It's my lucky charm, be sure to bring it back to me!"_

There it was, written on a piece of paper. Undeniably, irrefutably, she had placed her trust in him. It was her own lucky charm. He wasn't an idiot, well not a complete one anyways. He knew she was asking him to fulfill his dreams, be what he was meant to be and on the precipice, she would be waiting for him. Honestly, how was he supposed answer to that? He decided though, that whatever may come of it, the faith that she had placed in him or even why she had, those feelings of hers, he did not have the courage to betray them.

It was there, in a small down-trodden house, where a lonely boy who only wanted to be a hero promised to himself:

"Just you wait Kairi, I'll bring this back to you no matter what!"

It was emphatic, full of conviction, of belief, and of ideals he thought he'd he lost. Full of feelings he had never felt before in his life. It was the beginning of a legend.

**A month later (Train station)**

Sora waited nervously for the train to arrive. It had taken a month to set everything in order. He had sold the house; he didn't need it anymore. It had been his for as long as he could remember. Where it had come from, how he was allowed to live there alone after he had moved in from the orphanage, at a what was deemed to be a suitable age, was a complete mystery to him. Legal jargon was what the officials had told him and he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Now though, he wouldn't return until he made it as a hero. If that didn't happen he wouldn't return, period. It was hero or bust. He calmed his nerves as he heard the familiar 'whoot' of the train. It appeared suddenly, red and fiery in its glory, through the Keyhole that connected it to the interworld track. Sora stood up with baited breath, gripped Kairi's charm that he had tied around his neck under his shirt for luck, and the boarded the train.

He had thought about it long and hard. In the end, this seemed to be the best choice. He had gotten into the program. Six months and he would take his first step to achieving a life-long dream- to fulfilling his promise to Kairi. The train gave another 'whoot' and started moving. This was it, there was no turning back now.

"Country of Musketeers, here I come!". It was tentative, as if he still hadn't come to terms with what he was about to do. At the same time there was an edge of hope to it and an excitement for new things to come.

**Arrival in the Country of Musketeers**

"Hey kid, wake up... you're gonna miss your stop!" The train conductor had a terse voice- it was easily able to rouse Sora from dreamland.

"Hu..whh..what, who are you?", Sora groaned out has he came back to the land of the living. His mouth was dry and it felt like he'd swallowed cotton…bound to happen if you sleep with your mouth open.

"I said kid, wake up...you're gonna miss your stop!" the conductor repeated even sharper this time, even giving him the stink eye to go with it. He then walked off, muttering something along the lines about kids these days and respect.

"Geez, I wonder what his problem is?!", Sora said to himself as he got up, collected his luggage from the overhead compartment and stepped off the train.

Sora walked out of the train station and looked around. It was all hustle and bustle; as it should be in a train station. After staring for a few moments his eyes caught a sign as it bobbed up and down. All he could see attached to the sign was a gloved hand. "New muskeeter trainee recruits" it said.

Sora let out a sigh of relief. He was excited, but he was also nervous. He was alone in a new place for the first time in his life and he decided he needed all the help he'd get. He walked over to where the sign was being held and introduced himself.

"Hey, I'm Sora, I'm here for the Musketeers trainee program, nice to meet you!" He kept his voice cheerful and his smile bright. Best to make a good impression he thought, unless this guy was grumpy. Then he was screwed.

When Sora got a reply, he was a little surprised but not really shocked. He'd seen the mouse people tons of times before, he'd just never heard of them in then any sort of armed forces, so it caught him off guard. The mouse people were merchants and farmers by trade and here was one in front of him, wearing a trainee musketeer uniform.

"Hey, The name is Mickey, Mickey mouse, nice ta meet ya!" His voice was squeaky, like it should be, but it wasn't annoying. It had this fun and inviting quality. Mickey had the requisite round black ears and tail, and to Sora's relief, a bright smile. Seems like things would go smoothly.

"You're finally here, that's good, we gotta hurry up and get going or you're going ta be late for the ceremony," Mickey said quickly as he beckoned Sora to follow. Sora on the other hand was a bit surprised.

"What ceremony and don't we have to wait for the other recruits?" Sora was a little lost. Surely he wasn't the only trainee in this year's program? Sora had to quicken his pace to match Mickey's.

Mickey replied as they reached near a horse wagon, their way to the Musketeers compound, Sora presumed. "Oh, I forgot ta tell ya. Yours was the last train ta arrive, all the other trainees are already there and the ceremony is nothing big, it's just ta introduce you trainees ta the musketeer way of life. Although Captain Pete's speeches ta tend to drag a bit."

"Oh great," Sora mumbled. He really didn't like speeches and the ones that dragged on were the worst. He always seemed to zone out during them. He stood there in thought for a few seconds when a voice called out to him. It was Mickey, already sitting on the wagon, offering him a hand.

"Hey Sora, what are ya waiting for? Hop on!" Mickey said invitingly, smile bright, hand outstretched. All Sora could do was smile in return and grab on to the offered hand, he was yanked into his seat. For a little guy Mickey sure had some strength in him. With a "_Hyah_!", the horse started moving. They were off at a brisk pace. At that moment neither Sora nor Mickey could have possibly known that they were sitting next to a person that had a great destiny in front of him. They also couldn't have known how closely intertwined those destinies would be.

Sora looked around as they continued at a steady pace. All told, this world wasn't that large. In fact it was small compared some of the other worlds out there. To his right was probably one of the most dangerous places in all the worlds: Monte Saint-Michle, the island prison. A dungeon harboring some of the most vicious criminals to roam the worlds and it looked like it too. It was an island prison, dark and intimidating. Even the waters around it seemed like they would swallow people whole and drag them into an abyss. On his left was a tower with a bridge leading up to it, the only to and from the place by the looks of it. Sora wondered what was up there.

A little ways off in the distance he could make out the Fleur-de-lis, the insignia of the Musketeers in all its glory, adorning the top the arch that was the entrance to the Musketeer compound. The training grounds where he would be spending the next few months were just past the entrance, he'd learned. The last of the most significant buildings, which was still some ways off, was the opera house. A favourite of the royal family, over the years it had hosted some of the most famous shows known to all the worlds.

Sora's sightseeing tour came to an end as Mickey stopped the carriage near the compound entrance. Now that Sora was right next to it, he could begin to truly comprehend its magnitude. It was by no means small, on the contrary it was rather large, all told.

Mickey the tugged on Sora's shirt, "Come on, I think they're about ta start and you don't wanna be late in front of captain Pete, trust me!"

It was enough to get Sora moving, but he still couldn't stop taking in the sight. It was quite a lot to take in for a small town kid. As he entered with Mickey, he could see the training yard in front of him, it seemed odd thought that the training ground was right next to the were about a hundred people standing in rows- the trainees he presumed. There were about ten Musketeers over there to keep the order and help the recruits. The field itself was about three hundred meters long by 120 meters wide, more than adequate to fit everyone. On either side of the field were arches. It looked like that was where the barracks were. On top of the barracks were square paned windows which rounded at the top and the ceilings were made of blue tiles. Those floors looked like they belonged to the higher ranking officers. Right in front of Sora, ahead of all the rows of recruits, were stairs on either side of the yard leading up to a door. This was the entrance to the upper floor. Below the door between the stairs was an archway, similar to the one he had entered through.

The doors opened and out stepped two musketeers. Their entrance prompted Mickey to push Sora along until he was standing as part of the other trainees. One of them blew on a fancy horn and then announced, " Stand at attention for the Captain of the Royal Musketeers, Captain Pete".

"That's kinda redundant isn't it?" Sora whispered to Mickey, "And also very lame."

Mickey could only chuckle and reply, "Well, the Captain is a bit… for lack of a better word."

Sora then looked back up. He really didn't want to be caught inattentive on his first day. Whatever he was expecting the captain would be like… what he saw certainly wasn't it. Out from the door walked a portly, black-furred, anthropomorphized cat...or was that a dog? And he looked so very mean.

He arrived at the top of the balcony and cast a lazy, uninterested glance at the new recruits. After a few moments of silence he spoke. "Alright you muppets, you all listen and listen well. This here is my domain. Anything I say goes. You have a problem with any of that, you keep your mouth shut and we won't have problems. Over the next six months, all of you gonna be put through the ringer and only the best will be given the chance to become musketeers, you hear. Now if you understand that, it's okay but if you don't, crying later on when you flunk won't help any of you!"

Sora couldn't help but stare. Not only was he mean, he also seemed negligent.

"How in the world did this guy become a captain in the royal musketeers?" he whispered to Mickey. His brain couldn't comprehend how the army that was supposed to protect the royal family in all the worlds could harbor such an officer, especially to train recruits. Mickey couldn't do anything but give a nervous chuckle in response. Sora's attention was brought back to the Captain when he started talking again.

"Alright you muppets, you got fifteen minutes to get to the barracks, find your assigned rooms, get chained into training gear and meet back here. Anyone who is late will get punished. Now scoot!" As the final word left Captain Pete's mouth there was a flurry of activity. Everyone scrambled, not wanting to be punished. The Captain looked mean enough as it was. There was no wondering what would happen if he got angry.

Mickey poked him as he was about to leave, "Hey, follow me! I know where your room is at." Sora looked at him for a second, "How come?" Mickey didn't respond and just waved at him to follow. It wasn't that far, just near the entrance below the door Captain Pete had emerged from. Sora looked around the room. Two bunk beds, a desk with a chair and a window facing outwards. It was a bare bones room, but as a trainee he doubted he needed anything more.

"So, how do you like the room, roomie?", Mickey called from behind.

"Adequate, I suppo- wait, what do you mean roomie? Aren't you part of the army?" Sora exclaimed in surprise. With the way Mickey had showed him around, Sora had assumed he was a private at the the least.

Mickey's expression fell a bit but he recovered quickly. "Well, there's four trainees to a room but we were only three so I kinda offered. As for being part of the army, that's a story we don't have time for, get dressed quickly!"

Mickey hurried Sora along into a pair of brown trainee slacks, black boots and a blue round-collared shirt with the Fleur-de-lis embossed on it.

"Whoever made this design must have been blind or crazy," Sora said while tugging at his itchy collar.

He then asked Mickey, where the other two rommates were. Mickey on the other hand just told him to hurry up or he'd be in trouble, before running back out in his own training gear. Sora let out a sigh as he followed suit, albeit at a slower pace, as he still had a few minutes.

By the time he arrived, he could see all the trainees had already assembled. Most were nervous. The Captain's face and demeanour had clearly gotten to them. There were those that were completely calm though, as if they belonged there. Sora made his way towards Mickey and a moment later the Captain arrived. Everyone hurriedly stood at attention.

"Alright you Muppets, the rules of this exercise are simple. You beat some of my selected officers in a spar and I will allow you to turn in early. If you don't however, you will have to go through my personally designed regimen of exercises till you drop!"

Sora felt Mickey shiver a bit beside him and turned to him, "Oh come on, it can't be that bad, can it?"

Mickey just looked back at him with a look of horror in his eyes, "That's what they all say...at first." That was enough to motivate Sora to do his best for the spar. Mickey nudged Sora to pay attention to Captain Pete, it seemed the captain wasn't quite done yet.

"As you all know, the musketeer must fight with a rapier. Stabbing things is a way of life and as such, you will be taught the basics of the rapier over the next six months. If you want to pursue any further mastery of the weapon, do it yourself. Other than having to carry the officially issued rapier on you at all times there is no hard and fast rule about what weapons you use...not that it's going to help any of you puny punks against my officers !" He said it gloatingly, certain in his judgment.

Sora was fired up. He was going to beat the officer he was sparring with no matter what. In a matter of minutes, things were set up. Weapons racks were brought out and five rings about 15 feet wide were marked. In the center of each stood Pete's elected officers. The rules were simple: the trainees could enter any given ring, only a single trainee per ring at a time. Five battles would take place simultaneously. To win they had to either disarm the officer, which was almost impossible at the current level of most of the trainees, land three clean hits, or send the officer out of the ring. The trainees had to enter the rings at their own discretion.

A full minute passed and no one entered, Sora slowly began to realize something. There was absolutely no way for the trainees to beat the officers. Not unless they were extremely talented, which by the looks of it, this lot obviously wasn't. Or that test held a different meaning. The idea was in his head somewhere but he just couldn't pin it down. He really should have paid more attention to Riku's lessons on analysis and strategy, which surely would have helped here. Sora was snapped out of his reverie when felt someone beside him move.

"Seriously? No one? I hoped at least you would move Sora, I really didn't want to be the first!" There was a twinge of annoyance in Mickey's voice as he moved towards a ring. Looking at Mickey, some of the other trainees stepped forward. Just like that, all five rings were filled and just like that, Sora understood the meaning of the test. It was meant to test which trainee had the courage to take responsibility. Sora grinned, Mickey was more than he seemed. It didn't take long for two of the fights to finish but Sora waited. Riku had had drilled into him the need to study opponents. He wasn't really as good when he was in a fight and certainly not as good as Riku, but he could still calmly observe his opponents before the fight started. He wanted to observe the officers, but more than that he wanted to see Mickey fight.

What an enlightening experience it was. The little mouse had one of the most unique fighting styles Sora had ever seen. Mickey held the standard issue trainee rapier in his right hand as he jumped all over the place, mostly barreling at the apex of his jump. Sora noticed that for Mickey's height, the lightness of body due to being a mouse man and what was clearly a dexterous, compact body, this style suited him to a T. The officer really couldn't get a fix on Mickey's movement and through a series of jumps he would enter the officer's range and move back lightning quick when the officer lunged towards him. Eventually the officer overstepped and was caught off balance. A thrust to the sword hand disarmed the officer. Then, two quick steps forward and a pivot landed the butt of the sword in the officer's stomach, doubling him over. Lastly a pivot behind him and the rapier following in a wide arc struck the bent over officer in the butt, knocking him over. Sora was barely able to see the three strikes that struck the officer, and that was saying something since he had sparred with Riku. Mickey was really fast, it seemed.

Mickey took a quick bow and stepped out of the ring. The officer he had beaten was red with anger and embarrassment. The rest of the trainees looked at Mickey with awe though. He seemed to have inspired them. Mickey walked back over to Sora, trying to supress a smile and Sora nudged him.

"Hey, come on, no need to be humble about it. You completely outmatched him, no need for modesty!" Sora said grinning. It was infectious and Micky started smiling too.

"Seriously though, why aren't you in the army again?" Sora posed the question rather suddenly. Mickey stumbled and sighed, "I'll tell you later, when the other two are present." Mickey then smiled again and shoved Sora towards a ring, "Now shoo! Go show this mouse man what you're made of."

Sora just shook his head and gave a wry smile as he stepped towards the ring. In his hand he held a replica of the kingdom key, which was the weapon of nearly ninety percent of the the Keyblade users in the worlds. In his hand was a cheap imitation, a reminder of what he would never be able to achieve. Suddenly he didn't feel as up to it as he had moments ago. He stepped into the ring with his shoulders a little sagged. The officer in front of him gave him the once over. Upon seeing the weapon in his hand, the officer smirked. The disdain was as clear in his eyes as it was in his words when he spoke, "A real soldier doesn't need that thing to prove his own worth." Sora's eyes narrowed. It was no secret that the musketeers envied the special privileges the keyblade users and the Keyblade army in general enjoyed as the utmost guardians of the world. After all, the Keyblade was the only weapon that could truly defeat the darkness and all its inhabitants. The way the officer had taunted him and disrespected all the keyblade army didn't sit well with Sora. He bent his knees and brought his weapon to side getting into stance.

He was going to pull a special move for this guy. It may never have hit Riku, but then Riku was on a whole other level. For as long as Sora could remember, he had always been able to see the point of origin and the path of his opponent's first strike; this made him a deadly counter-style fighter. The ability faded however if the opponent avoided the first strike. Riku and Kairi had dubbed the ability as "Hero's privilege'": showy but true to form and deadly. Sora rushed the officer and in the instant he felt the strike and its path he smirked. He had the perfect counter.

"Swallow tail stab," he whispered to himself as he launched himself towards the officer whose thrust went past Sora as he spun horizontally in mid-air, like a bullet. The tip of Sora's weapon collided with the officer's chest and with smash blew him out of the ring. Sora then transitioned into a dive roll before ending up on his feet. He was breathing heavily, more out of being irritated than tired. One of the trainees went up to check the officer.

"Oi, this fella's out like a light!" he said, astounded.

Sora could only scratch the back of his head and chuckle awkwardly as everyone stared him. He eyes made the mistake of looking in Captain Pete's direction. The Captain was pissed. Sora cringed, he was so dead.

**Author's note: If anyone wants to ask anything, message me. If anyone like anything, please review.**

**P.S: I have an awesome beta reader now, I had some massive errors that she spotted. So kudos to her. **


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